System and method for providing customized audio content to a vehicle radio system using a smartphone

Abstract

A method is disclosed for providing real time information content from a remote content source to an individual travelling in a vehicle over a personal electronic device (PED) of the individual, for playback over a subsystem of the vehicle. A control is designated on the vehicle subsystem which enables the individual to request the information content from the remote content source. A short range wireless link is established between the user's PED and the vehicle subsystem and the PED is used to access the information content from at least one Cloud based information service. The information content is then streamed back to the vehicle subsystem over the PED and played back to the individual, at least substantially in real time, while the individual is traveling in the vehicle.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for providing real time content from a remote content source to an individual travelling in a vehicle, the method including:
 receiving programming information from an individual during a programming operation by which the individual provides first and second types of information, the first type of information including identification information uniquely identifying the individual, and the second type of information including content selection information by which the individual selects a specific, remote content source from a plurality of available content sources to obtain information content from, which said information content may be obtained at least substantially in real time when the individual is travelling in the vehicle; 
 receiving a selection from the individual by which the individual is able to designate a specific control of the user accessible subsystem as being operative to initiate obtaining the information content from the remote content source when the control is accessed by the individual; 
 using a short range wireless transceiver on the vehicle to establish a short range, wireless communications link with a personal electronic device (PED) associated with the individual, which is present on the vehicle with the user; 
 generating a first signal, when the control is accessed by the individual, which is generated from the user accessible subsystem of the vehicle, and received by the PED; 
 using the PED to generate a second signal when the first signal is received; 
 using the second signal to access a Cloud based connection subsystem, the second signal identifying the individual to the Cloud based connection subsystem; 
 using the Cloud based connection subsystem to determine a specific remote sponsorship partner to be contacted for sponsorship content; 
 using the Cloud based connection subsystem to access the remote content source previously selected by the individual during the programming operation, to obtain the information content; and 
 streaming the information content and the sponsorship content back to the user accessible subsystem via the Cloud based connection subsystem and the PED, at least substantially in real time, for playback to the individual while the individual is travelling in the vehicle. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein designating a specific control associated with a user accessible subsystem of the vehicle comprises designating a soft button associated with a radio system of the vehicle, as being operative to initiate obtaining the information from the remote content source when the soft button is accessed by the individual. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein designating a specific control associated with a user accessible subsystem of the vehicle comprises designating a hard button associated with a radio system of the vehicle, as being operative to initiate obtaining the information from the remote content source when the hard button is accessed by the individual. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein generating a first signal when the control is accessed, which is generated from the user accessible subsystem of the vehicle, comprises generating a short range, wireless signal from a radio subsystem of the vehicle to the individual's PED informing that the specific control has been accessed by the individual. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein using the PED to generate a second signal when the first signal is received comprises using a smartphone to automatically generate, without user intervention, a request for the information content and the sponsorship content, which are transmitted wirelessly to a cellular network with which the individual is associated with. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein using the second signal to access a Cloud based connection subsystem comprises using the second signal to access a Cloud based server. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein using the Cloud based connection subsystem to access the remote content source to obtain the information content comprises using a Cloud based server to determine, based on an identify of the individual and on a previous selection made by the individual, which one of the plurality of available different content sources to obtain the information content from. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the available information content sources comprise at least a plurality of:
 weather services; 
 traffic services; 
 the individual's email account; and 
 a social media site. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the operation of generating a first signal, when the specific control is accessed, which is generated from the user accessible subsystem of the vehicle and received by the PED, comprises using the first signal to ping a connection application stored on the PED; and 
 wherein using the PED to generate the second signal comprises using the connection application to ping the Cloud based connection subsystem; and 
 wherein pinging the Cloud based connection subsystem comprises pinging a Cloud based server. 
 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9 , further comprising using the PED to ping a Cloud based sponsorship server for the sponsorship content to be played back with the obtained information. 
     
     
       11. A method for providing real time content from a remote content source to an individual travelling in a vehicle, the method including:
 receiving programming information from the individual by which the individual provides first and second types information, the first type of information being identifying information and the second type of information being a selection of one specific, remote content source from a plurality of available content sources from which to obtain information content, which said information content may be obtained at least substantially in real time when the individual is travelling in the vehicle; 
 designating a specific control associated with a radio system of the vehicle as being operative to initiate obtaining the information content from the remote content source when the specific control is accessed by the individual; 
 using a short range wireless transceiver on the vehicle to establish a short range, wireless communications link with a personal electronic device (PED) associated with the individual, which is present on the vehicle with the user; 
 generating a first signal, when the specific control is accessed, which is generated from the user accessible subsystem of the vehicle, and received by the PED; 
 using the PED to generate a second signal when the first signal is received; 
 using the second signal to access a Cloud based connection server; 
 using the Cloud based connection server to identify an identity of the individual and to access a plurality of predetermined, Cloud based information sources for obtaining predetermined sponsorship information and predetermined information content, based on the programming information; and 
 streaming the predetermined sponsorship and information content back to the user accessible subsystem via the Cloud based connection subsystem and the PED, at least substantially in real time, for playback on the radio system while the individual is travelling in the vehicle. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the designating a specific control on the radio system comprises designating at least one of a soft control and a hard control. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , wherein a plurality of predetermined, Cloud based information sources comprise a sponsorship server and at least one of the following:
 a traffic information service; 
 a weather information service; 
 an email account of the individual; and 
 a social media site. 
 
     
     
       14. A system for providing real time audio content from a remote content source, over an audio system of a vehicle, to an individual travelling in the vehicle, the system including:
 a personal electronic device (PED) for receiving a wireless first signal from the audio system when a specific control of the audio system, previously designated by the individual as being assigned to obtain predetermined information content from a remotely located predetermined content source, is selected by the individual, the PED having a processor having non-transitory machine executable code running thereon and configured to:
 generate a second wireless signal, when the first signal is received, to access a Cloud based connection subsystem, the second signal identifying the individual to the Cloud based connection subsystem, the identification enabling the predetermined information content for the individual to be identified, based on a previously performed programming operation carried out by the individual wherein both identifying and content selection have been provided by the individual; 
 to receive information content, at least substantially in real time, obtained by the Cloud based connection subsystem from at least one Cloud based information service, along with sponsorship content obtained from an independent sponsorship content source; and 
 to provide the information content and the sponsorship content to the audio system for play back while the individual is travelling in the vehicle. 
 
 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 14 , wherein the Cloud based connection subsystem comprises a Cloud based server. 
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 14 , wherein the at least one Cloud based information service comprises at least one of
 a traffic information service; 
 a weather information service; 
 a social media site; and 
 an email account of the individual.